80 H A D O C K. Class IV. 



Afellus, * Callarias, and Bacchus ', are familiarly 

 applied to feveral of our fpecies of cod fifh by the 

 more modern writers ; yet the antients from whom 

 they are borrowed, have not authorized the appli- 

 cation to any particular kind, either by defcription 

 or any other method. 



Different reafons have been affigned for giving 

 the name of Ov®- 9 or Afinus to this genus, fome i- 

 magining it to be from the color of the fifh, others 

 becaufe it ufed to be carried on the backs of aflfes 

 to market ; but we fhall drop this uncertain fub- 

 jecl, and proceed to what we have fuller afTurance 

 of. 

 Season. Large hadocks begin to be in roe the middle of 



November, and continue fo till the end of January *, 

 from that time till May they are very thin tailed, 

 and much out of feafon. In May they begin to 

 recover, and fome of the middling-fized fifh are 

 then very good, and continue improving till the 

 time of their greatefl: perfection. The fmall ones 

 are extremely good from May till February, and 

 fome even in February, March, and April, viz. thbfe 

 which are not old enough to breed. 



The fifhermen affert, that in rough weather ha- 

 docks fink down into the fand and ooze in the 

 bottom of the fea, and fhelter themfelves there till 

 the ftorm is over, becaufe in ftormy weather they 

 take none, and thofe that are taken immediately 



* Lib, c. 17. 



fmall 



